Wilderness.org - BLM Landshttp://wilderness.org/tags/blm-lands
enPrivatization threatens your public landshttp://wilderness.org/blog/privatization-threatens-your-public-lands
<div class="field-group-format group_meta field-group-div group-meta speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-post-date field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Mar 2, 2015</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/bios/staff/scott-miller">Scott Miller</a></div></div></div></div><div class="field-group-format group_image field-group-div group-image speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-field-content-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/styles/blog_full/public/SageBrushRebellion.ElkhornMountainWilderness.jpg?itok=LlzbXZ-g" width="500" height="375" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-video field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-headline field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Across the West, a small number of officials are organizing to seize public lands and transfer them to state ownership.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p>When school was out for the summer in the suburbs of Manhattan where I grew up, my mom packed our little Subaru hatchback with sleeping bags, a tent, a cooler filled with fruit and sandwich meat, hiking boots, rain gear, and three kids, and headed West.&nbsp; Like generations before and since, we were off on the great American road-trip to explore the wonders of America&rsquo;s national public lands&mdash;our national parks, national forests, Bureau of Land <img alt="" class="media-image media-image-right" height="480" style="width: 246px; height: 380px; margin: 10px; float: right;" width="311" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/ScottMillerFamily2-27-2015_004_Edited%20%282%29.jpg?itok=ZiLZgKKj" />Management lands, and wildlife refuges.&nbsp; Whether you live out West or just visit here, these lands touch your soul.</p>
<p>That these national public lands belong to all of us is a uniquely American privilege, one that is so central to our culture and spirit that it is easy to take for granted.&nbsp; But this privilege&mdash;our common inheritance&mdash;is coming under attack.</p>
<h3><strong>These lands belong to all Americans</strong></h3>
<p>Across the west, a small number of officials are organizing to seize public lands and transfer them to state ownership, after which our lands could be auctioned off to oil and gas drillers or sold for other development. One western county commissioner outrageously <a href="http://lmtribune.com/opinion/federal-land-ownership-robs-idaho-of-its-autonomy/article_c713e75c-864b-5f91-964f-b5192d50931b.html?mode=print" target="_blank">compared public land ownership to slavery</a>.&nbsp; One state has actually gone so far as to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/24/us/utah-bill-asks-government-to-give-back-more-than-20-million-acres-of-land.html" target="_blank">pass legislation calling on the United States to surrender millions of acres of public lands </a>belonging to all of us in all 50 states into the hands of that one state.&nbsp; In<a href="http://www.taosnews.com/news/article_016ea69a-b261-11e4-9957-3f1247d75faf.html?mode=print" target="_blank"> some states the attack is being presented in the form of a &ldquo;study&rdquo;</a> asking loaded questions.&nbsp; In still other states, opponents of public land couch their attack as &ldquo;concurrent jurisdiction.&rdquo;</p>
<p>At stake is our right to share and enjoy the many wonderful acres of national public lands&mdash;everything from the plunging depths of the Grand Canyon in Arizona to the sweeping vistas of the <a href="/node/107415">Red Desert in Wyoming</a>, and from the moss-covered trees of the Olympic National Forest on the Washington coast to the red-rock outcroppings and ancient ruins of Utah&rsquo;s Cedar Mesa. Public lands come in all shapes and sizes&mdash;including tucked away historic sites like the <a href="/node/107233">Gold Butte Townsite in Nevada</a> and the <a href="http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/recreation/las_cruces/three_rivers.html">Three Rivers Petroglyph Site</a> in New Mexico.</p>
<p>These are places that tell our shared American stories and unite us around the idea that these places collectively represent us as a nation.&nbsp; Our public lands are our birthright, and they belong to all Americans&mdash;rich or poor, near or far.&nbsp; We all share in the privilege to hike, camp, fish, hunt, and explore them.&nbsp; But with this freedom to enjoy them comes the responsibility to hand them down to future generations.</p>
<p><em>Photo (above, right): Scott Miller on one of his family&#39;s great American road trips (boy in the blue shirt, ca., 1977). Courtesy, Scott Miller. </em></p>
<h3><strong>Americans oppose public land sales</strong></h3>
<p>The idea of taking public lands out of public hands goes against broad popular opinion in the West.&nbsp; <a href="http://ttp://www.currentargus.com/carlsbad-opinion/ci_27453032/sale-public-lands-meets-strong-resistance-from-sportsmen" target="_blank">Rallies in support of public lands</a> have drawn hundreds of people.&nbsp; A <a href="https://www.coloradocollege.edu/other/stateoftherockies/conservationinthewest/" target="_blank">Colorado College poll</a> released in early February found that conservation of natural areas for the benefit of future generations is a nearly universally shared value across western states&mdash;96% of those surveyed agreed.&nbsp; So it is no surprise that Americans broadly oppose selling off our national forests and other public lands.</p>
<p><img alt="" class="media-image" height="241" style="width: 480px; height: 191px; margin: 10px;" width="480" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/ColoRallyMikeW_0.JPG?itok=nBVv0tT4" /><em>Photo: In February, Coloradans gathered at the state capitol to protest efforts to take over public lands, by Mike Weissman. </em></p>
<p>The radical idea of taking America&rsquo;s public lands out of public hands is not just a threat to outdoor enthusiasts in the West.&nbsp; As public lands managed for everyone, the mountains, forests, deserts, and grasslands of the West are available to you whether you live two hours away in Wyoming or Colorado, or a 2,000-mile car-trip away in New York. But if our public lands are transferred to the control of just a single state, <a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/2150406-155/legal-scholars-predict-utah-land-transfer" target="_blank">Americans from other states could lose access</a> to use and enjoy those lands. When our forests, monuments, and parks are sold or privatized, we would become trespassers on our own lands.</p>
<blockquote><p>&quot;... we would become trespassers on our own lands.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The national public lands of the American West were acquired by the American people in the early- and mid-1800s.&nbsp; The Louisiana Purchase of 1803, the 1848 cession of the Southwest that followed the Mexican-American War, and the other lands west of the Mississippi came at the great cost of bloodshed and American taxpayers&#39; dollars.&nbsp; When the United States granted statehood to new territories years later, Congress gave millions of acres to the newly admitted states to be used for specific purposes like funding schools.&nbsp; Some states quickly sold many of their lands to private buyers.&nbsp; In other states, the lands have been retained for revenue generation, and <a href="http://www.nmstatelands.org/Recreational_Access.aspx#Camping" target="_blank">public access is restricted</a>.</p>
<p>But the United States retained other lands to be managed not just for the benefit of any one state, but for ALL Americans.&nbsp; From these public lands came many of America&rsquo;s most famous national parks like <a href="http://www.nps.gov/yell/" target="_blank">Yellowstone</a>, <a href="http://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm">Zion</a>, and <a href="http://www.nps.gov/romo/">Rocky Mountain National Park.</a>&nbsp; Parks like these are popular travel destinations not only for residents across the country, but also for visitors from abroad, <a href="http://outdoorindustry.org/advocacy/recreation/economy.html" target="_blank">generating billions in revenue to state economies</a>.&nbsp; Our national public lands also play a critical role in providing clean drinking water for tens of millions, as well as for recreation, clean air, habitat for wildlife, and much more.</p>
<p>Our public lands are too important a part of our heritage to succumb to this radical notion.&nbsp; As part of our work to preserve and protect wild areas across the country, The Wilderness Society is dedicated to keeping public lands in your public hands.</p>
<p><em><em><img alt="" class="media-image media-image-left" height="180" style="width: 180px; height: 180px; margin: 8px; float: left;" width="180" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/styles/square_thumbnail/public/ScottMillerMug_0.PNG?itok=4O85m_DO" /></em>Scott&nbsp; Miller is The Wilderness Society&#39;s Senior Regional Director for the Southwest Region, which includes Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. </em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><strong>Learn more about state land seizures</strong></h2>
<h3><strong><a href="/node/108481">Special interest groups in 10 states are trying to seize your public lands. </a></strong></h3>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<div class="field field-name-field-content-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/article/how-we-designate-wilderness"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/styles/related_content/public/kingston-range-3-John-Dittli_0.jpg?itok=QQwrhbvC" width="220" height="115" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-promo-item-teaser field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Find out how land is designated as wilderness</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-headline field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">We work with people across the country to protect our last remaining wild places. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-node-link field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/article/how-we-designate-wilderness">Read more</a></div></div></div></div></div><div class="field-item odd"><div class="ds-1col article article-type-article article-promoted even article-related-content view-mode-related_content clearfix ">
<div class="field field-name-field-content-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/article/top-activity-backcountry-journeys"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/styles/related_content/public/tent-north-cascades.jpg?itok=vd_r2tzM" width="220" height="115" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-promo-item-teaser field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Embark on a backcountry journey</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-headline field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Backcountry journeys take you away from civilization and into true wilderness. Exploring the backcountry can difficult, but is equally rewarding.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-node-link field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/article/top-activity-backcountry-journeys">Read more</a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Mon, 02 Mar 2015 22:08:57 +0000Laura Bailey108495 at http://wilderness.orghttp://wilderness.org/blog/privatization-threatens-your-public-lands#commentsDepartment of Interior continues to advance responsible renewable energyhttp://wilderness.org/update/department-interior-continues-advance-responsible-renewable-energy
<div class="field-group-format group_meta field-group-div group-meta speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-post-date field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Jul 18, 2012</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/bios/staff/alex-daue">Alex Daue</a></div></div></div></div><div class="field-group-format group_image field-group-div group-image speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-field-content-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/styles/blog_full/public/Solar-cells-pic-Jeremy-Levine-Design.jpg?itok=KDSbpl0R" width="500" height="263" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-video field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"></div></div><div class="field field-name-media-description field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>Solar cells.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-credit field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>Jeremy Levine Design</p>
</div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-headline field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The first-ever large scale solar project on tribal lands recently won Department of Interior approval—marking continued progress in the agency’s efforts to advance renewable energy sources on public lands. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p>Located outside of Las Vegas, the 350-megawatt Moapa Solar photovoltaic solar plant, capable of powering 100,000 homes, will create financial and educational opportunities for the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It is a positive sign to see continued renewable energy development in the west, and the key will be ensuring that vast renewable energy resources on tribal lands can be developed in a responsible way.</p>
<p>Ensuring responsible renewable energy development is an important part of our work to protect wildlands at The Wilderness Society. Some places are simply too wild to be developed in any way, including for renewable energy.&nbsp; Further, when projects are proposed, it is important that permitting rules are followed, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is making progress on this front as well.&nbsp; For example, the BLM recently rejected an application for the Wilson Creek Wind Project in Nevada because the developer was not providing required documents, including an updated Plan of Development, a document that is a standard part of the permitting process.</p>
<p>The Wilderness Society supports the BLM cleaning up the queue for &ldquo;actual&rdquo; projects, allowing the agency to focus on those applications with the fewest impacts and the greatest chance of success.&nbsp; BLM regulations clearly provide the agency with the authority to reject applications for a variety of reasons, including incompleteness.&nbsp; Rules that the agency published in 2011 also require the agency to review applications for potential environmental conflicts and reject high-conflict projects.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The concerns that have been raised that Wilson Creek Wind would have impacted critical habitat for the sage grouse, potentially putting them one step closer to being listed on the endangered species list, provide another reason why the BLM&rsquo;s decision to reject this application appears to&nbsp; be a good one.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>These recent BLM decisions are consistent with the agency&rsquo;s overall commitment to advancing environmentally responsible renewable energy development on public lands across the west.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Another major milestone is coming up &ndash; publication of the Final Programmatic EIS for solar development in the six southwestern states.&nbsp; By focusing development in low-conflict zones, this plan will provide a roadmap for responsible solar development for years to come.&nbsp; Taken together with the BLM&rsquo;s work to advance good projects and reject incomplete or high conflict projects, it appears the agency is taking Interior Secretary Salazar&rsquo;s commitment to responsible development very seriously &ndash; and that&rsquo;s good for protecting our wildlands and advancing our clean energy future.</p>
</div></div></div>Wed, 18 Jul 2012 13:19:52 +0000Mary Price2433 at http://wilderness.orghttp://wilderness.org/update/department-interior-continues-advance-responsible-renewable-energy#commentsDoing it Right: Ensuring Responsible Natural Gas Development on our Public Landshttp://wilderness.org/resource/doing-it-right-ensuring-responsible-natural-gas-development-our-public-lands
<div class="field-group-format group_meta field-group-div group-meta speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datetime field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2010-04-13T00:00:00-04:00">Tuesday, April 13, 2010</span></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <h2>Key Points</h2>
<ul>
<li>The burning of natural gas contributed more than 21 percent of the country&#39;s carbon dioxide emissions in 2008.</li>
<li>Local air quality has been severely degraded in some areas due to the extraction and processing of natural gas.</li>
<li>Natural gas development can &mdash; and does &mdash; cause long-term, cumulative impacts on lands, wildlife, and ecosystems including habitat fragmentation.</li>
<li>Hydraulic fracturing is exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act, and companies are not required to publicly disclose the chemicals that they inject underground, sometimes close to drinking water sources.</li>
<li>Natural gas construction activities are exempt from the federal stormwater prevention program.</li>
<li>Policies and laws need to ensure that natural gas development is done responsibly and in an environmentally-safe manner.</li>
</ul>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-media field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><table class="sticky-enabled">
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<tr class="odd"><td><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/Doing-it-Right-Policy-brief-update-Winter-2011_0.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=449498">Doing-it-Right-Policy-brief-update-Winter-2011.pdf</a></span></td><td>438.96 KB</td> </tr>
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</div></div></div>Mon, 04 Jun 2012 22:12:25 +0000Tashia Tucker878 at http://wilderness.orghttp://wilderness.org/resource/doing-it-right-ensuring-responsible-natural-gas-development-our-public-lands#commentsWhy These Issueshttp://wilderness.org/article/why-these-issues
<div class="field-group-format group_meta field-group-div group-meta speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-non-displaying-content field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><!-- PLACEHOLDER --></div></div></div></div><div class="field-group-format group_article_content field-group-div group-article-content speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field-group-format group_image field-group-div group-image speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-field-content-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/styles/blog_full/public/rattlesnakemountain-maine-babyturkk-flikr.jpg?itok=6mxQ2JLw" width="500" height="263" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-video field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"></div></div><div class="field field-name-media-description field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Hikers at Rattlesnake Mountain in Maine</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-credit field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">babyturkk, Flickr</div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-headline field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Wilderness protection comes in many shapes and sizes — from designating new wilderness and national monuments to making sure our national forests are well managed and there are adequate trails for recreation.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p>Americans own 618 million acres of public lands, 110 million acres of which are protected as pristine, untouched wilderness. National policies dictate how public lands and wilderness designated within them are used, maintained and preserved.</p>
<p>National policy areas in which The Wilderness Society works include:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/node/368">Wilderness designation</a></li>
<li><a href="/node/369">National monuments designation</a></li>
<li><a href="/node/383">National forests</a></li>
<li><a href="/node/384">BLM lands</a></li>
<li><a href="/node/431">Oil and&nbsp;gas</a></li>
<li><a href="/node/432">Renewable energy</a></li>
<li><a href="/node/367">Outdoor recreation</a></li>
<li><a href="/node/284">Conservation funding</a></li>
</ul>
<blockquote><p>National policies dictate how public lands and wilderness designated within them are used, maintained and preserved.</p></blockquote>
<h2><a href="/node/368">Wilderness</a> and <a href="/node/369">monuments</a></h2>
<p>New public lands can be protected through <a href="/node/368">wilderness designation</a> and <a href="/node/369">national monument designation</a>. We work on designation campaigns to ensure that future wilderness gains the protections it deserves.</p>
<h2><a href="/node/383">National forests</a> and <a href="/node/384">Bureau of Land Management lands</a></h2>
<p>The U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management are two federal agencies that manage our <a href="/node/383">national forests</a> and <a href="/node/384">public lands</a>. There are many issues within these areas &mdash; managing roads, vehicles and access, for example &mdash; that affect the health of these important forests and wildlands.</p>
<h2><a href="/node/589">Oil, gas</a> and <a href="/node/432">renewable energy</a></h2>
<p>Public lands are open for both <a href="/node/431">fossil fuel</a> and <a href="/node/432">renewable energy development</a>. It&rsquo;s important to make sure that both types of energy projects are done in a way that has the least impact on sensitive wildlands.</p>
<h2><a href="/node/367">Outdoor recreation</a></h2>
<p>Our public lands are valuable places for <a href="/node/367">outdoor recreation</a>. Recreation benefits us, our communities and our local economies. It&rsquo;s important to support sustainable outdoor recreation on our public lands.</p>
<h2><a href="/node/284">Conservation funding</a></h2>
<p>Adequate <a href="/node/284">conservation funding</a> is key to ensuring wilderness is protected. Whether through taxpayer dollars or other funds, it is necessary for the federal government to designate funds for conservation projects.</p>
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<div class="field field-name-field-promo-item-teaser field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Take action to protect wilderness</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-headline field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">When wilderness is faced with threats, we count on our passionate community to take action. Only through our collective action can we protect wildlands and ensure they remain safe.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-node-link field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/take-action">Read more</a></div></div></div></div></div><div class="field-item odd"><div class="ds-1col article article-landing-page article-promoted even article-related-content view-mode-related_content clearfix ">
<div class="field field-name-field-content-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/hot-issues"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/styles/related_content/public/slide_images/glynlowe-flikr-us.capital.jpg?itok=M9F6S15f" width="220" height="115" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-promo-item-teaser field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Know issues that affect your wilderness</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-headline field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Wilderness can’t protect itself. That’s why it’s important to know the issues — from managing roads and building trails in national forests to steering energy projects away from sensitive places. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-node-link field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/hot-issues">Read more</a></div></div></div></div></div><div class="field-item even"><div class="ds-1col article article-landing-page article-promoted odd article-related-content view-mode-related_content clearfix ">
<div class="field field-name-field-content-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/wild-places"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/styles/related_content/public/GrosVentreFalls-GlacierNationalPark-Montana-JeffFox.jpg?itok=mQM93vJI" width="220" height="115" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-promo-item-teaser field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Discover wild places</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-headline field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The United States has one of the richest wildland systems in the world. There are plenty of national parks and forests, wilderness study areas and wildlife refuges for you to experience and enjoy. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-node-link field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/wild-places">Read more</a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Sat, 02 Jun 2012 10:17:49 +0000Graziella Jackson364 at http://wilderness.orghttp://wilderness.org/article/why-these-issues#comments